NOW PLAYING

Indian TV must cut adult fare

India's information ministry has directed cable TV operators to broadcast material which is suitable only for those under 18.

29 Nov 2003 11:37 GMT

Cable tv came under fire for its fashion clips

"We are enforcing the programme code in which any TV programme for public should be viewable by an under-18-year-old," an unnamed information ministry official was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

The report said orders have been issued by Information Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad that "only content worthy of a U [universal] certificate" should be shown to the estimated 40 million cable TV viewers in India.

The move is reported to have been triggered by a large number of complaints with the ministry regarding "obscene" music videos.

FTV came under heavy fire last year by the ministry for its fashion clips which the then minister Sushma Swaraj said were hurting Indian sensibilities.